Improvement in rotary engines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANA BIGKFORD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,070, dated August 1,1865.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, DANA B1cKEoRD,oF Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State ot'. Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Rotary Engine;and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecification and represented in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure lis a longitudinal and vertical section, and Fig. 2 a transverseand vertical section, ot' it. Fig. 3 is a vertical section, and Fig. 4is an inner side view, ot' one of its side plates.

This enginecan be operated either bythe force or pressure otl steam,air, gas, or water, or it may be employed as a n'ieasurer ot' thetlowage of a liquid or la gas.

Within a cylindrical case, A, and concentrically thereto, there isarranged a rotary cylinder or head, B, which is supported byashaft, a,extending through both heads b b ot' the said case. There is au annulargroove, c, formed in each head, and so as to encircle the shaft, and befor the purpose of receiving a packing, p, to go around it. The case Ahas within it a cam, C, which is arranged therein and between an inlet,d, and an outlet, e, in manner as shown in Fig. l. Furthermore,thecylinder or head B is recessed in its periphery, as shown atff, toreceive two pistons or valves, D D, which are hinged,respectively, tothe cylinder, and so as to close into the recesses. These pistons, whenthrown open or out ofthe recesses, are to rest against the innercircumference of the case A. A brace, g, is hinged to each piston andextends into a chamber, h,

formed in the cylinder B. The said brace has a head, fi, on its end,which enters the chamber h, and such chamber, at or near its junctionwith the recess f, is to be so formed as to serve as a stop to the. headjust as the end of lthe valve or piston may come into contact with theinner circumference of the case A. The object of the brace g istoprevent wear of the end of the piston by the inner circumference of thecase A while such piston may be moving around within such case.

A small spring, 7c, arranged as shownin Fig. l, serves to aid in raisingthe valve or piston at the proper times. There is also a cavity orrecess, l, made in each side plate of the case, and arranged therein andwith respect to the recessf, the cam O, and theinlet-pa-ssage d inmanner as shown in Fig. 1. The object ofthe said passage d is to conveythe liquidorsteam directly underneath the piston preparatory to itsbeing thrown up out ot' its recess, in order that by such steam orliquid such piston may be elevated against the inner circumference of-the case.

In the operation ot' this engine the steam, gas, air, or water underpressure, ou entering the case by the induction-passage d, will throwthe piston l) out ot' the recessf and up against the inner curvedsurface of the case, and by its rpressure on the piston the saidl steam,air, gas, or liquid will produce a rotative motion ofthe cylinder B. Onthe piston reachingthe iin'luction-opening c the inipelling-motor willbe free to escape through the said opening e, and as the piston maycontinue on it will bc closed down upon its seat by the cam C and by theimpelling-power acting ou the other piston. h

In the above-described rotative engine I claim the following, viz:

The combination ot' the brace g and its receiving and stopping passage hwith each piston G, arranged in and so as to operate with a cylinder,B.ca1n C, and a case, A, substantially as specified.

2. The combination and arrangement. of' the passage liu the head or sideplate of the case A, with the cylinder B and its pistons D D, arrangedwithin the said case, as and forthepnrpose specified.

` 3. The arrangement of the annular packingrecess c in tho head orplateb, and with respect to the cylinder B, as specified.

DANA BICKFORD.

